86 
ALGjE. 
GIFFORDXA, nov. gen. 
Thallus as in Ectocarpus. Sexual reproduction by means of piano- 
gametes. Female gametes produced in pluril ocular gametangia ; 
male cells in antheridia of similar form. Antherozoids much 
smaller than the female zoospores and destitute of chromatophores. 
The new genus will contain the following species : — G. secunda= 
E. secundus , Kiitz. ; G. fenestrata=Ect. jenestratus , Berk. ; G. 
Eebelii—E. Lebelii, Crn. (perhaps identical with G. fenestrata), and 
Mr. Buffliam’s new species G. Padince, Buffh. {vide post). 
ALGOLOGICAL NOTES. 
By T. H. Buffham, A.L.S. 
{Plate 185 .) 
The plurilocular sporangia of Chorda Filum, StacJch. 
In August last, when collecting at Teignmouth, I observed a 
curious specimen of this alga growing amongst others of a normal 
appearance in a shallow rock-pool near the long bridge over the 
tidal river Teign. For some distance from the apex it was twisted so 
as to form a close spiral. On examining a section I was surprised 
to see a considerable number of larger bodies of a bright brown 
colour amongst the usual assimilation cells, and projecting beyond 
them. Familiar with the unilocular sporangia, of which none 
were visible, my first thought naturally was that the much larger 
bodies were parasites which had caused the abnormal growth of 
the host, especially as in those portions of the frond between the 
projecting spirals they were either absent or almost so. A closer 
scrutiny, however, showed that they evidently arose from the same 
base as the assimilation cells, and, in fact, they were those cells 
transformed into plurilocular sporangia. The form, seen laterally, 
is subspherical, with the upper portion truncate, on a short pedicel, 
reminding one somewhat of the edible tig {Ficus carica ). 
Having nipped off only a portion of the plant I went next day 
and found the remainder, and, further, collected all the specimens 
I could find (7 or 8) that were distinctly spiral. Every one, with 
a single exception, bore the plurilocular sporangia. The exception, 
however, was an abnormal form, much thickened in parts, very 
similar to Fig. 2, of Tab. 26, of Reinke’s Atlas deutscher Meeres- 
algen. I carefully examined a plant of the usual straight form 
growing close to my first specimen, but found no plurilocular 
sporangia. It was richly furnished with unilocular. 
I now examined from base to apex a plant 13 dm. (50 inches) 
